Knife-blade.



Vnu. 664,536 Patented nec. 25, |900.

R. HQ DIEKINSDN.

` KNIFE BLADE.

(Application Bled Apr. 17, 1900.)

(No Indel.)

wz mams PETERS cu, vauro-Uwe.. wnsnmo'ruu; D. l:4

UNITEDi STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT H. DIOKINSON, OF MOUNT HOPE, W'EST VIRGINIA.

KNIFE-BLADE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 664,536', dated December 25, 1900.

Appnmon filed Apni 17A, 1900. serial No. 13.266. in@ modelo To (if/ZZ whom, t muy concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. DICKINsoiv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Hope, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knife- Blades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a knife-blade for measuring and cutting buttonholes, opening letters and sealed packages, cutting leaves of books, and other similar uses; and the aim and purpose of the same is to shape a knifeblade in such manner tha-t it willembody a penetrating acicular body provided with a measuring-scale and a rear oblique or beveled cutting edge and to have said blade connected to a handle forming a part of an ordinary type of clasp-knife and embodying other common blades, and` thereby produce a convenient pocket implement, though` it is not essential that the improved blade be combined with any other device and at times will -be individually held or supported by suitable means.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a knife-blade embodying the features of the invention and shown combined with a clasp-knife. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the improved blade. Fig..3 is a transverse vertical section of the blade.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate the corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral l designates a form of handle usually employed in holding the blades of a clasp-knife to which the invention is shown applied, though, as before indicated, it is to be understood that theimproved form of blade I can be held or supported by any suitable means. The handle l of the character set forth illustrates one convenient means of holding the improved blade, and thereby produce a convenient pocket implem'ent and combi ned with other ordinary types of blades adapted for general uses. The improved blade 2 comprises an acicular body 3, which is substantially triangular in cross-section, and has an inner edge 4, provided by opposite inwardly- Jbeveled sides 5, as'clearly shown by Fig. 3,

and a slightly-rounded back or outer portion.

L6. The body 3 isgradually and regularly converged toward its free pointed end '7, and inV of the beveled sides 5 and Without forming ,indentations or rough surfaces that would interfere with the easy penetrating movement of the said body. The body 3 extends from Van inner broadened support 9, which is sloped or beveled on both sides 10, similar to an ordinary knife-blade, and integrally formed with a securing-tang ll, as shown in the present instance, the said tang being pivotally mounted in the handle l and working in conjunction with a back spring, as will be obviously apparent. It is proposed, however, to extend the support 9 from any other device, and a convenient inode of constructing the improved devioe is to cut down an ordinary knife-blade and leave the body free adjacent to the back portion of the same and in addition construct a rear beveled or oblique cutting edge 12, which alines with the edge 4 of the body 3 or intersects the latter at an obtuse angle having a rearward trend. The tang or other device l1 will be provided with a shoulder 13, which forms a stop to limit the movement of the broadened support 9, particularly in forming buttonholes and as will be presently explained.

In using the improved blade for opening letters the curved back thereof is arranged contiguous to the edge to be opened and the point 7 inserted under the sealing-flap at one end or caused to penetrate the beginning portion of one of the end edges of the letter. The blade is then pushed straight ahead and the cutting edge 12 ofthe support 9 severs the parts of the letter edge, and at times the edge 4 of the body 3 could be' used alone for such purpose, though the operation particularly explained is preferred. The operation pursued in opening parcelsis substantially similar to that explained in connection with letter-opening and also in cutting the leaves of books and other similar uses. The main 0bject of the improved blade, however, is to facilitate the formation of bu ttonholes of any size. blade is laid sidewise on the cloth o r mate- IOO In this operation the body 3 of therial and in which it is desired to make the buttonhole, and by means of the scale-marks, which will be arranged to designate inches and fractions thereof, the exact distance from the edge of the material in which it is desired to construct the buttonhole can be as,- certained, and while holding the point 7'at the beginning of the hole, as determined by the measurement, the blade is raised at right angles to the clothA or material and pushed through the latter as far as necessary to obtain the length of buttonhole desired and which will be measured by the scale, and aftei` the necessary degree of penetration has been obtained the point 7 is again brought back against the opposite side of the cloth or material and a second time caused to penetrate the latter at the inner limit of the measured hole and at the same time locate the back of the blade in close contact with the material. While holding the back squarely to the cloth the blade is pushed firmly forward until the cutting edge 12 contacts with the beginning or outer termination of the buttonhole, when the material will be severed and a straight smooth buttonhoie will result. It

kwill be observed that` the hole cannot be cut beyond the inner limit thereof, as defined by the measurement, because the body 3 in ad- Vance of the edge will be moving over the upper surface of the cloth and accuracy of length will result. In pursuing this operation the edge 12 alone should be permitted to cut the hole and without attempting a Severance by means of the edge 4 of the body 3.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a plurality of buttonholes may be regularly formed of an even length and an `equal distance from the edge of the cloth or material, and the 'inaccuracies arising from ordinary methods pursued in this class of work w-ill be entirely avoided. In very long buttonholes the shoulder 13 will Vfacilitate the severance of t-he cloth or material in the event that the latter has a tendency to ride over; the edge 12, and which may be due to a eareless or improper manipulation by forcing the cloth back toward the said edge 12.

The construction of the blade set forth contemplates other' uses to Which it may be found applicable and is capable of a wide range of modification in the minor details of construction, as Well as in the form, proportions, and size. These changes will be resorted to when found necessary Without departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is- 1. A buttonhole-cutting blade, having a forward cutting edge, and a forwardly-projecting puncturing gage-point of a length in excess of the buttonbole to be out.

2. A blade for the purposes set forth having an acicular body with scale-marks thereon and extending from a rear broadened support having a cutting edge in operative relatio'u to. said body.

3. A buttonhole-cutting blade, having a rear cutting portion and a forwardly-projecting puncturing gage-point; of a length in excess of the. huttonhole to be cut, the cutting portion having a cutting edge springing from the butt-end of the gage-point.

4. A blade for the purposes set forth having an acicular body with inwardly-beveled sidesl running to an edge and provided with a scale, andy a rear cutting edge at an angle to and continuinginto the said edge.

5. A buttonholecutting blade having a needle-like puncturing gage-point for threading into and out of material to be buttonholed, said point being of a length in excess of the proposed buttonhole,y to determine the length of the hole before and during the cutting operation.

6. A blade. for the purpose set forth with an upper central edge, the said blade being of acicular form and gradually enlarging from an outer- .point toward the inner termination thereof and having an inner cutting edge at an obtuse angle thereto and coinciding with vthe upper central edge set forth.

In testimonyA that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. DICKINSON.

Witnesses:

G. V. CAMPBELL, C. L. SINMERS. 

